Abandoned campfire blamed for 400-acre Interlaken Fire, tip line open

DENVER (KDVR) — An abandoned campfire is blamed for the Interlaken wildfire that’s so far burned more than 400 acres in the popular Colorado recreation area near Leadville, and investigators are looking for anyone responsible.

The fire’s origin was about 60 yards from the Interlaken trail and 1.5 miles from the trailhead, according to the U.S. Forest Service, which is leading the response.

“This campfire was not properly extinguished and continued to burn,” the U.S. Forest Service said, adding it was likely abandoned “several days” before the wildfire was reported on Tuesday afternoon.

Officials say they do not have leads on who left the fire unattended. They are asking anyone with information about campers with a fire near the Interlaken resort between June 7-11 to call the tip line at 303-275-5266.

Interlaken Fire near Leadville

Size and containment

• 413 acres as of 11 a.m. Wednesday

Evacuations

• The area of Interlaken and County Road 25

Pre-evacuations

• Lost Canyon, Cache Creek and Clear Creek areas

Road, trail closures

• Interlaken trailhead and parking area
• Willis Gulch trail
• Sheep Gulch trail
• Colorado Trail segments in the Twin Lakes Area
• Forest Service Road 399
• Dispersed camping around the lake

Evacuation center

An evacuation center at the 6th Street Gym in Leadville was open briefly but had closed by Tuesday night. The sheriff’s office said it would reopen if necessary.

Emergency alerts

Sign up for Lake County emergency alerts at this link .

Tip line

Anyone with information is asked to call the tip line at 303-275-5266.

Interlaken Fire in popular recreation area

The fire is burning about 12 miles southwest of Leadville on difficult terrain in the Interlaken historic area . No historical structures had burned as of Wednesday afternoon.

Helicopter drops were underway to battle the fire. Denver Fire Department’s wildland team was preparing Wednesday to deploy to help.

The area is on the south side of the lakes in a popular recreation area, where there are few homes but many campgrounds, and it’s hard to get to. The Lake County Sheriff’s Office said hikers were transported from Interlaken in a search and rescue boat.

The fire was reported around 1:35 p.m. Tuesday and crews from multiple agencies arrived about 5 minutes later, according to the sheriff’s office. The fire is on U.S. Forest Service land, so the federal agency has taken over the fight.

How to make sure a campfire is out

The U.S. Forest Service gave this information about ensuring a campfire is properly extinguished :

• If your campfire is too hot to touch, do not leave it or go to sleep.
• Whitish or gray coals can retain heat for extended periods and flare up if the wind picks up.
• Rock rings must be properly constructed, away from flammable materials such as pine needles and twigs, and without gaps between the rocks.
• Use water and stir the ashes until they are cool to the touch.
• You are responsible for keeping fires under control.

People in the area were advised to avoid the area to allow emergency responders to work. Lake County government advised people also to “avoid overwhelming dispatch with inquiries as they coordinate resources.”

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